Collaborative Research: New to IUSE: EDU DCL:Diversifying Economics Education through Plug and Play Video Modules with Diverse Role Models, Relevant Research, and Active Learning

协作研究：IUSE 新增功能：EDU DCL：通过具有不同角色模型、相关研究和主动学习的即插即用视频模块实现经济学教育多元化

• 批准号: 2315701
• 负责人: Jose Fernandez
• 金额: $ 3.79万
• 依托单位: University of Louisville Research Foundation Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2315701&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; New; IUSE; EDU

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving economics education in undergraduate programs. Introductory economics courses (taken by a significant number of undergraduate students) often fall short of their potential due to outdated teaching methods, classroom practices that are not inclusive, and a paucity of diverse role models. In comparison to other STEM fields that have made strides in developing and adopting innovative teaching approaches that welcome diverse perspectives, economics has lagged behind. Consequently, the ability of economics to contribute to solving societal problems is compromised. The lack of diversity not only affects the topics studied but also limits the exchange of diverse ideas in the classroom, hindering broader societal progress. This project seeks to address these issues by developing and evaluating a classroom intervention using evidence-based methods from STEM education literature, with the goal of broadening perceptions of economics, enhancing student sense of belonging, and increasing diversity and retention in the field. The proposed intervention consists of a series of modules instructors can easily plug into introductory economics courses designed to expose students to diverse role models and a range of exciting and relevant topics through professionally produced videos. Accompanying curricular materials, grounded in evidence-based active learning principles, will deepen student engagement and learning. The project hypothesizes that this intervention will positively influence students' perceptions about economics, strengthen their sense of belonging in economics and their belief in their own abilities, and improve learning, persistence, and retention, particularly among diverse students. The modules will also provide professional development opportunities for economics instructors, enabling them to implement best practices in their classrooms. By bringing together these evidence-based approaches and delivering them to the introductory economics classroom, this Tier 1 project aligns with the IUSE: EDU Program's Engaged Student Learning track, aiming to improve economics education, engage students through innovative and inclusive practices, enhance diversity, and prepare students with a comprehensive understanding of economic principles and their applications. The project also furthers the NSF mission by expanding knowledge on STEM education and increasing the capacity of the US to conduct research in economics, a crucial STEM field, by contributing to a more vibrant and diverse economics workforce.This project uses a mixed methods research approach by incorporating focus group input into the development of the project modules and quantitative and qualitative methods for impact evaluation. The project team plans to deploy the modules in classes at varied types of institutions in collaboration with instructors. Each instructor will have a “control” semester in which they do not use the modules and a “treatment” semester in which they conduct the pre- and post-surveys that will be used to collect data on constructs such as STEM identity, self-efficacy, connectedness and belonging, and perceptions of persistence in economics. Combining that data with institutional data, the project team will perform difference-in-differences regressions to analyze project impacts. The intellectual merit of this project lies in leveraging the existing evidence about active learning and role models to create a novel set of modules, combining diverse role models, policy relevance, and active learning techniques to shape diverse students' perceptions, identity, and persistence. The modules are designed to be adaptable to a wide range of institutions, facilitating their easy integration into introductory economics classrooms. The broader goals of this project start in the classroom but extend beyond it, aiming to create a profession that welcomes economists from all backgrounds to address society's challenges. The modules this project creates should positively influence students' experiences in economics education, diversify the pipeline of economics students, provide professional development opportunities for instructors, and broaden the voices and perspectives represented in economics. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools and to advance our understanding of persistence in economics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目旨在通过改善本科课程中的经济学教育来服务国家利益。由于过时的教学方法、不包容的课堂实践以及缺乏包容性，经济学入门课程（由相当多的本科生学习）往往无法发挥其潜力。与其他在开发和采用欢迎多元化观点的创新教学方法方面取得长足进步的 STEM 领域相比，经济学不仅在多样性方面落后。影响所研究的主题，但也限制了课堂上不同思想的交流，阻碍了更广泛的社会进步。该项目旨在通过使用 STEM 教育文献中的循证方法开发和评估课堂干预来解决这些问题，其目标是扩大影响。拟议的干预措施由一系列模块组成，教师可以轻松地将其插入旨在让学生接触不同角色模型和一系列令人兴奋的经济学入门课程。通过专业制作的视频来了解相关主题。随附的课程材料以基于证据的主动学习原则为基础，将加深学生的参与和学习。该项目回顾说，这种干预措施将积极影响学生对经济学的看法，增强他们对经济学的归属感和对自己能力的信心。这些模块还将为经济学教师提供专业发展机会，使他们能够将这些基于证据的方法结合起来并提供给入门课程，从而提高学习、坚持和记忆力。经济学在课堂上，该一级项目与 IUSE：EDU 计划的参与式学生学习轨道保持一致，旨在改善经济学教育，通过创新和包容性实践吸引学生，增强多样性，并让学生全面了解经济原理及其应用项目。还通过扩大 STEM 教育知识并提高美国在经济学（一个重要的 STEM 领域）进行研究的能力来进一步推进 NSF 的使命，为更具活力和多样化的经济学劳动力做出贡献。该项目采用混合方法研究方法，将焦点小组输入项目团队计划与教师合作，在不同类型机构的课堂上部署这些模块，并制定其影响评估的“控制”学期。使用这些模块和一个“治疗”学期，他们在其中进行事前和事后调查，用于收集有关 STEM 身份、自我效能、连通性和归属感以及对经济学持久性的看法等结构的数据。该数据与机构数据，项目团队将执行双重差分回归来分析项目影响，该项目的智力价值在于利用有关主动学习和角色模型的现有证据来创建一组新颖的模块，结合不同的角色模型、政策相关性和知识。这些模块旨在适应各种机构，促进他们轻松融入入门经济学课堂。该项目的更广泛目标始于课堂，但也不断延伸。超越它，旨在创造一个该项目创建的模块应积极影响学生的经济学教育经历，使经济学学生的渠道多样化，为教师提供专业发展机会，并拓宽经济学领域的声音和观点。 NSF IUSE：EDU 计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生 STEM 教育的有效性，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具，并增进我们的理解。的坚持该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。